Over the past year or so I’ve become a pretty big aficionado
(Japanese= 専門家 or “senmonka” in Japanese) on Japanese dramas. Apparently all Japanese dramas fit within
certain “rules” that are different from the U.S. First of all, only 10 or 11
episodes……this to keep the audience from getting bored, I think. So the
storyline of the whole season has to fit into just 10 or 11 episodes. The risk
of rushing the story is usually mitigated by the fact that there aren’t very
many filler episodes to drag the viewers through. Also, each year (like 2014)
is cut into 4 seasons of TV (unlike the US “fall season” where all the good
shows premiere), the Japanese shows premiere new shows in all 4 of the seasons,
so that there’s fresh programming any time.
I find that most people like manga anyway, and that’s a
whole different genre and area that I am unfamiliar with. However, Japanese
dramas can give great perspective into the Japanese culture, food, and how
normal people interact with each other (with a lot of Urusai! And Baka! – the
equivalent of “shut up!”and “stupid!” much like U.S. culture, making fun of
each other or genuinely being upset about things, Japanese people use things
common terms of art pretty often.
Shinya Shokudo: great story about a Japanese pub owned by one
“Master” that cooks meals for customers from the hours of midnight to 7AM. It’s
really got that sense of the U.S. TV show “Cheers” in the sense of “where
everybody knows your name.” Recurring characters pop up, there are bar “regulars”
who have their own storylines. What’s striking to me is that the bar patrons
are generally friendly to each other and will support each other and foot each
other’s bill from time to time, or share the food. It’s a great collegial
environment that’s filled with some great-looking food like Ramen, takoyaki,
karaage (fried chicken) and other great pillars of the Japanese diet.
I got a new IPhone 6 last week. While I’m excited about
getting a new phone and checking out all its features and having new and fancy
things, I’m reminded about my philosophy on material goods, which is that phones
are just a way to call people (and text people, and go on facebook, and check
mail, and do everything so it’s actually a lot more than that), but I don’t
need the fanciest of phones or flashiest of devices or biggest of screens or
widest of bandwidths, as long as I get the functions I need. I don’t need the
hippest car in the lot to get from one place to another, I view a car as more
of a mode of transportation to get from one place to another. Things I will put a premium on is convenience,
being hospitable to others (treating others in a meal or at least picking up my
portion of the tab) and getting new experiences (the only selfish one in this
list but this isn’t being hypocritical, I actually feel this way). I really
like being able to order more alcohol while everyone’s having a good time at
the bar, or a new opportunity has arisen that friends want to do, or it just
feels magnanimous to foot the bill. I understand that when I go on vacation, I
will generally be taken advantage of, but that’s the cost of being in a whole
new part of the world, in a culture I don’t know. At places like the Shinya
Shokudo, where everyone got along and great experiences are to be had, I would
put a premium on footing the bill, and even maybe picking up that of others, if
a merry time is being had.
Fantasize on, Robert Yan
No comments:
Post a Comment